Luoyang’s Radio Supervision and Regulation Bureau Lan Zhigang told the AP the cost of the six-propeller flying device was tens of thousands of dollars. The drone is approximately the size of a gas station pump from propeller end to propeller end.

“A drone has its advantages,” Lan said. “In an urban area full of tall buildings, various barriers limit the operating range of devices on ground, while the drone can rise up to 500 meters (1,640 feet) and detect signals over the whole city.”

The two- to three-day exams are required for all high school graduates and determine which level of university the student may enter. More than 9 million students began the exam Sunday, the AP reported.